Richard is an actor and children’s TV presenter.
…Nesbitt, Mike
Mike’s journalistic career began within the BBC’s sports department in the mid-1980s. In 1986, he became one of the regular presenters on BBC Radio Ulster’s breakfast news and current affairs offering, Good Morning Ulster.
In 1990, he moved to PR company Anderson Kenny. By 1992 he had shifted back into regular TV presenting, becoming one of the main anchors on UTV’s regional news programme, Six Tonight. He quickly established himself as one of the key figures within the station’s news department.
However, in February 2006 came the shock announcement that Mike was not renewing his contract with UTV. Speaking at the time, he said: “I have decided to leave because I just feel very strongly that the time has come to move on.
“I believe it is time for a new challenge and I have several projects in the pipeline.
“I will be sorry to leave behind a very fine bunch of journalists, and above all, will miss working with my wife Lynda, who is a key factor in UTV’s success story.”
Other TV credits: Sunday Morning (ITV, 1999 2001), a religious affairs programme, co-presented with his wife Lynda Bryans; Counterpoint, and its successor Insight (UTV, 1992 – early 2000s), a current affairs programme; Home Sweet Home (UTV, 2004 – 2006), a home and garden series, co-presented with wife Lynda.
When he stepped away from on-screen roles, Nesbitt and his wife set up their own independent media services company.
In January 2008, Mike was confirmed as the Victims Commissioners for Northern Ireland – a role established by the Northern Ireland Assembly to highlight the interests of victims of The Troubles. He left that post in February 2010 to stand as a candidate for the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists in the Strangford constituency in the 2010 General Election. He lost out to the Democratic Unionist Party’s Jim Shannon. A year later, Nesbitt stood in the 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election, again in Strangford. He was elected, along with 5 other MLAs in that constituency. On 31st March 2012, he was elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. He remained in that role until 2017.
Bannerman, Graham
Graham has a wealth of live broadcast experience.
…Taylor, Alan
Eccentric, jovial, avuncular HTV West continuity announcer and programme presenter on both HTV West and HTV Wales who also found fame on the national ITV network, first as the presenter of one of the many incarnations of Mr and Mrs, and, secondly as Nancy Kominsky’s eager assistant in HTV West’s almost cult-status Paint Along with Nancy. Locally, he was well known for his Tinker and Taylor children’s slots. The Mr and Mrs programme went on to be produced by Tyne Tees Television, and, most famously, Border Television, when the host was Derek Batey.
Former colleague Guy Thomas told us: “Alan was the most popular and best-loved television personality in Wales and the west of England, establishing himself as a versatile, all round entertainer and he was admired as much by his colleagues as by the large audiences he won for the television programmes in which he appeared.
“After working in his family’s Cardiff electricity business and seeing active Navy service in the Mediterranean war zone he began entertaining in amateur variety bills, turning professional by appearing all over the country in pantomimes and music halls, including London’s West End. He joined TWW as an announcer in 1959. His popularity started to rise with an afternoon 10-minute slot for children which he shared with a glove puppet (a kind of not too distant relation of Sooty) for a birthday greetings show called Tinker and Taylor. TWW had a large audience for television quiz shows, most of them the idea of the Canadian TV personality Roy Ward Dickson. Alan became the ideal host for these shows, starting with Three Little Words, Try for Ten and the blockbuster of them all, Mr and Mrs, which ran year after year. It is probably true to say it was the most popular programme series TWW transmitted, rarely missing the number 1 spot in the ratings.
“For HTV, Alan began a series of programmes in which he learned to paint (his interest was already there) called ‘Painting With Nancy’ and the demand for the return of ‘Mr And Mrs’ was so great, the company, which had dismissed the idea of repeating their predecessor’s liking for the quiz show format, bowed to the inevitable. The success was repeated and HTV also brought back, again with Alan, ‘Try For Ten’. In 1982 Alan retired to open an antique shop in Bath and then went to live in Spain where he died in 1997.”
Stevens, Lorna
Lorna was an HTV West and Thames TV continuity announcer who moved to the HTV weather department when in-vision announcing was axed in 1993. She was regularly seen as a weather presenter on both HTV West and HTV Wales, but recently left when weather presentation was centralised in Birmingham. Lorna is also believed to have announced for HTV Wales.
A former professional model who worked with The Bluebell Girls first in Barcelona, Spain, and then in Paris, she started her broadcasting career on her return to the UK with local ILR station Radio 210 in the Thames Valley. She went on to work as an announcer for BBC Radio 4 and was a network announcer on BBC TV (1984 – 1986), before embarking on a career as a freelance announcer/presenter for several ITV companies and also on BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting). Lorna also worked as an announcer on Westcountry Television in Plymouth for around 18 months from 1993 with colleague Peter Griffin.
Sheppard, Roy
Roy was a BBC Wales TV continuity director/announcer (1980s). He also read Wales Today bulletins.
…Towers, Alan
Alan was born in Liverpool in 1934. His early broadcasting career included stints as a news presenter with Granada Television (1965) and ITN (1966). He was also a reporter on Westward Diary (c. 1966).
…Carey, Nuala
Nuala joined RTÉ in 1999 as a full-time RTÉ weather presenter. She also regularly presents the National Lottery’s Telly Bingo and Lotto draws. Nuala also acts as a relief continuity announcer on RTÉ One and RTÉ 2.
Love, Walter
Walter joined the BBC in London as a studio manager in 1958. After a year with the BBC in Edinburgh, he moved to Broadcasting House in Belfast, where, after a year, he became a staff announcer. Throughout the 1960s, Walter was the main television news presenter with BBC Northern Ireland. He also looked after the radio continuity operation and presented various radio programmes.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Walter also carried out television continuity duties with BBC Northern Ireland.
In 1978 he went freelance, presenting the magazine programme Day by Day. In the late-1980s, he took up the afternoon slot on BBC Radio Ulster, presenting Love in the Afternoon. He then became the presenter and producer on Love Forty.
In 1998, he was awarded an MBE for his services to broadcasting.
Lynam, Desmond
Longstanding BBC sport presenter who moved to ITV in 1999.
…Borg, O. J.
O. J. (Oliver James) Borg is a radio and TV presenter.
…Rochford, Kathy
Presenter with BBC East Midlands Today.
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